Thursday, April 5, 2012

Road Trip South of France

A.)we get to have this special time together before the bebe arrives B.)I cannot believe we live so close to France, (my most favorite European country, next to Italy of course) it's approx. a 3-4 hour drive from Milano! C.)I get to eat some serious pain au chocolat, fresh out the oven for breakfast. It makes up for not be able to dine on oysters, wine and cheese, which I cannot have while preggers.

This is my very first time to the South of France, and I'm beyond excited. There are so many magical places to see but we only have a short time there, so we've narrowed it down to some key spots. First we head, to a quaint, romantic, B&B that's tucked in the Var region countryside of Provence located between Nice and Marseille, where we'll be greeted each morning with organic bread and homemade jams. um. YUM! (you know that's why I choose it, that and the garden that just oozes French country charm).

From our B&B, we plan to take day trips to the following spots: Cassis, a little fishing village best known for the high sea cliffs and stunning blue-green Calanques. I do hope the weather forecast changes, the weather gods don't seem to be interested in giving us glorious sunshine but rain or shine, it will still be romantic. On the off chance that the coastline is super grey and bleak, we plan to hit up the flea markets in the elegant city of Aix-en-Provence, the birthplace of Cezanne, famed for its beautiful squares, fountains and tree-lined boulevards. Then venture our way back along the coastline, taking a quick peek at St. Tropez and Canne from a distance and ending in Nice, where we can visit the Matisse and Chagall museums. Should there be enough time on the way back to Milano, we might try to stop by Monte Carlo, not for fancy casinos (not our style or thing) but we want to see the little aquarium that's perched on a cliff over looking the sea, once run by Jacque Cousteau (totally our style as we have a thing for visiting aquariums whenever we travel). And I guess, this exotic garden will have to wait till next time. A future road trip with bebe in tow.

Any suggestions of things to see, places to eat? would love to hear from you.........